In The Early Hours
by Lavender and Hay
Summary: S6 AU; married Baxley and Joseph's complete aversion to the early morning.


**Just thought I'd write another s6/post s6 AU that I don't have time to write. Hope you like it.**

She was woken up by a crack of light through the curtains. Rubbing her eyes a little, she sat up, pushing her hair out of her eyes and reaching over to the beside table for her husband's watch to see what time it was.

"Joseph," she murmured softly at the bundle of bed clothes beside her, "It's time to get up."

No response.

"Joseph."

Nothing.

"Come on," she told him, putting her hand on where his shoulder probably was through the blanket, trying to give him a little shake, "Wake up, you great lump."

A muffled groan. She bit back a laugh. At least she was getting somewhere. She gave him another, perfunctory, prod in the blanket.

"Come on," she told him again.

He shuffled a little.

"What time is it?" he asked her.

"Six o'clock," she confessed.

"Six!" he exclaimed, rolling onto his back with sheer indignation, "Dear Christ, Phyllis! I thought her Ladyship said you could go up later today, because she kept you up last night?"

"She did," she replied, looking down at him, half-amused, half-apologetic, "I thought, because I missed our evening together last night, maybe we could-…"

For a moment he only looked ruffled and confused. Then comprehension dawned on his face.

"Oh."

She laughed softly at the look on his face, with his stubble beginning to show and his hair ruffled from sleep. Sinking down to lie beside him again, she pushed the covers back a little, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling a kiss into his shoulder.

"God, Phyllis, you certainly know how to wake a bloke up."

She laughed again, her head resting against his shoulder.

"I bet you weren't thinking that a minute ago," she told him softly, "You were cross with me."

He turned her head to see her smiling at him.

"I wasn't," he told her quietly, "I'm never cross with you. I was just-… you know how I get in the mornings."

She smiled and closed her eyes. She definitely knew how he got in the mornings.

As her eyes were closed, she was surprised by the feeling of his lips on hers. She gasped slightly at the brush of stubble against her cheek, and hummed contentedly a second later. She felt him shift in her arms as he moved a little closer to her, lifting himself up a little.

She opened her eyes and looked up into his face.

Now that they had been married for six months, she couldn't rightfully be surprised by the look of adoration in his eyes as he gazed down at her. But it humbled her all the same, every time just like the first.

"I love you," he murmured.

Hearing it, too, was like the first time again, every time.

"Even when I wake you up?" she asked him softly.

His hand were touching her abdomen tenderly, through her nightdress, moving up towards her breasts.

"Even when you wake me up," he confirmed, "Especially when you wake me up like this."

She smiled up at him, letting out a ragged, happy breath as he cupped her breast through her nightdress. She kicked her legs a little, wriggling impatiently out of her dress. He helped her sit up, ushering the garment over her head, discarding it on the floor for her. She sat up, completely naked in his arms, kissing him fervently as he knelt beside her on the bed. Her hands under his pyjama shirt, she pulled at it impatiently.

"I love you," she murmured, "I love you."

He bowed his head away from hers just a fraction.

"I know," he told her quietly in reply, "Let me kiss you."

She was about to protest that if he wanted her to kiss him, he should put his face somewhere she could reach him, but she felt the gentle graze of his stubble on her collarbone, and then between her breasts and she realised what he meant. His hands were stroking her thighs, softly urging them apart. She felt a nudge of stubble on the inside of her thighs, and she gasped, her hand pulling the bedclothes into a tight fist. Her head fell back and she let out a throaty cry of pleasure.

"Joseph, oh god Joseph, please-…"

She felt him break contact. She gave a deep, steadying breath. She was aching for him, trembling a little with exertion and pleasure. He rested his head momentarily on her thigh before sinking back down to kiss her. She shouted out aloud this time in surprise, and a second later in delight as he pushed his tongue into her.

"Dear Christ, Joseph-…" her hand wound into his ruffled hair, holding him closer to her, "If you don't-… I'm going to-…"

He ceased kissing her for one more moment.

"Good," he told her quietly.

She came a second later, her body arching up against his mouth, her limbs lifting off the bed.

"I don't see how it's fair," she told him a few moments later, when she had recovered a little and he was lying beside her, "I wake you up, and it's me who gets rewarded for it."

"Do you think I don't enjoy that as much as you?" he asked her seriously, "Do you know how it makes me feel that I can do that for you?"

She would never have believed it from anyone else. But it was him, her Joseph. She leant forward and kissed him, hungrily, rolling him onto his back this time.

He was the one who fidgeted for his watch this time, but he couldn't find it.

"Have we got time?" he asked her hopelessly, looking up at her naked body, straddling his waist.

"Yes," she replied firmly, "And do you care if we haven't? Honestly?"

Her hand stroked gently up his chest from his navel.

"Her Ladyship did say you could be late today-…" he replied, lifting her hand up from his chest to kiss her fingers.

 **End.**

 **Please review if you have the time.**


End file.
